The causes of tics go way beyond genetics. Learn what you can do to relieve them.

Many people with Tourette syndrome report that there are foods, other items, or situations that make their tics worse. But how can this be, if Tourette syndrome is a “genetic” condition? Research confirms that Tourette syndrome is both a genetic and an environmental condition.

What does this mean? Just think of allergies. Someone can have a genetic predisposition to develop allergic reactions, but, as everyone knows, the environment can greatly determine the types and intensity of symptoms that person will experience. In a similar manner, many people with Tourette syndrome report that they are aware of certain triggers for their tics—triggers that affect the frequency, type, or severity of tics.

It is generally accepted that stress, excitement, and fatigue can aggravate tics. But there are numerous other factors that also may, and the more awareness a person with Tourette syndrome has about potential triggers, the more likely it is that he or she can identify them.

New Book on Tic Triggers

We are pleased that our latest book focused on tic triggers has been released January 23, 2018. It contains updated information on triggers for tics, includes testimonials from the tic community, and has logs and charts to help in a trigger search. Learn why doctors and the public have been kept in the dark on this important subject. Those looking for answers to tics will find this guide to be a major help in their journey.

Trust Yourself

ACN Latitudes hears all too frequently that someone was able to identify at least one trigger for tics, and when they told a physician or psychologist, the response was: “That’s ridiculous.” Or, “It’s a coincidence,” and they are told they are “wasting their time” in these pursuits.

This is medicine at its worst. After all, Tourette syndrome is referred to in the literature as a “mystery.” There is no lab result to verify its existence, and the best specialists in the world do not have all the answers to the cause or suitable treatment. Yet, patients and families are coming to professionals around the world and offering clues to help solve this mystery. More frequently than not, they encounter a deaf ear, and may even be discouraged from further exploration. Educate yourself, believe what you see with your own eyes after careful observation, and be an advocate for your family.

Melissa, that is a good question and I have just added it as a note under the common triggers reported area. The reason it was not there was this list was based on reports we received. The actual connection between tics and a particular vaccination episode was not often reported. However, research does support the connection and I’m glad you brought it to our attention. Thank you. If you have more to add to this issue, please do!

Ev, there is no need to connect the two. If you son did not have vaccinations then you don’t have to be concerned, as some parents are, with detoxing from some of the ingredients in the vaccines, or worrying if your child had an unusual immune reaction to a vaccine. Instead you can look for other factors that may be playing a role in the tic symptoms. Are you making any progress with that?

I have 11-year-old triplets. Two of them are ADHD and have had intermittent tics. One of these two did the Cunningham panel (while it was still being researched) and registered in the PANDAS/PANS range. She has always been terrified of shots. Maybe she has a reason to be. She always tics for weeks after vaccines. Nothing in particular, just all of them. I think it’s probably that they burden her (probably overactive) immune system, and tics are the result.

I’m sure a percentage of infants receiving the immunizations required by law before the age of two is the reason for this and many other horrific conditions. there may be some genetic issue as well that makes the immunizations unsafe for some individuals.

I know i can live without gluten (which dramatically increases stimming and certain tics), but as i’m trying to be vegetarian i’d like to know if there’s a / any medicine that can counteract fructose-triggered tics

All of my kids had immunizations and only one has tics. I was immunized as a kid and I don’t have tics. Since the majority of the kids in this country are immunized and only a small percentage get tics, I would think that wouldn’t be a cause. In fact, I’d be more afraid of the diseases that immunizations fix than tics.

We’re trying to rule out allergies and food sources right now by eliminating the basic ones, scheduling a test at the doctor, and then slowly bringing back foods he isn’t allergic to. It’s going to be tough, but we can do it because he is more sick of the tics than he has a love for sugar, dairy, and wheat (well for today least lol) I’m also not ruling out certain limitations of amino acids and vitamins/minerals so we’re going to increase those as well in a way that doesn’t introduce sugars and yeast if we can.

Hi Boo, it sounds like you have a good plan going for looking into food allergy/intolerance and balancing nutrients. I hope you’ll let us know how it goes.

A suggestion: don’t forget about the home environment–some kids have chemical sensitivities, from scented candles to fabric softeners or strong cleansers. Or they react to pet dander, mold, etc. Meanwhile others in the family may not show any reaction.

It happens that studies on vaccines with thimerosal as a preservative showed a connection with an increase in tics–but of course that would’t be the case for everyone. You can see our review article here https://latitudes.org/vaccine-research-thimerosal-tics/ Fortunately thimerosal has been removed from most vaccines. We don’t know of any research on current vaccines and tics. Of course as you can imagine, everyone is different with what they react to.

Dear Ev, I’m sorry your son has tics, and thank you for sharing your comment. The way triggers work is that everyone is different and may react to different things.

A study showed that there was an increase in tics from vaccines containing thimerosal (which used to be in more vaccines that it is now), and some readers have reported noticing a connection, but that doesn’t mean that everyone who had those vaccines developed tics. Or that avoiding the vaccines will remove the chance of having tics.

Triggers for tics are kind of like triggers for allergies for the general population. Take a symptom like itchy eyes. Some people might have itchy eyes because they were exposed to ragweed; others from cat dander, others from eye makeup. These are all triggers for itchy eyes but people will react differently.

With tics, there can be multiple causes and triggers for a given person. Sometimes the response depends on factors like an illness or fatigue at the time of exposure (i.e., more likely to react if the immune system is compromised). And the degree of exposure makes a difference. Someone with Tourette syndrome or another tic disorder may have a significant increase in tics if they spend an hour in a highly chlorinated swimming pool, but they never noticed a problem if they used a Clorox wipe at home. Yet someone else could react with tics by using same kind of wipe because they are ultra-sensitive to toxic chemicals.

So the list is really something for you to consider and watch for a possible connection, with the goal being to avoid triggers once they are identified, and strengthen the immune system through a number of different possible efforts.

I hope this doesn’t seem too complicated. Sometimes it is easy to figure out one or more triggers, and other times it is not. A professional can often assist.

Let us know if we can help in brainstorming your son’s triggers. I wish you all the best in your search for healing for him.

Im 32 and I have tics like blinking eyes, twitching nose and some of my body parts like my fingers and toes and even my whole body. It’s awful, I know people notice it and they are just shy to say something. My family makes fun of me since I was little. I barely remember when did it started, I think in between 7 to 10 years old. I remember it was worst in my younger years and I tried to hide when I started to be aware of it. My family thinks its just a habit, I too believed it is. I was unaware of tics and tourettes before.I also see other people having a significant eye blinking just like mine. I was starting to think that there is really something wrong with me and its not just a habit. There were a lot of moments in my life that I would cry and feel so emotional that why of all people I am the only person that has this. Why do my brothers and sister dont have it. Why do people I have met never have these undesirable movements? Until I came accross to a certain documentary about tourettes syndrome. I was in my late 20’s till I found it out. I was so ignorant and I hated it. I realized mine isnt not bad at all compare to what I saw on the documentary film. I could hide it sometimes especially when i was in school and at worK. But my eye blinking is very noticeable. From then on after ai learbed about tics and tourettes, I kept searching on answers. And most of the articles I read said about no cure and about drugs that can help lessen the tics and I didnt want it because of the side effects. Now I have a 2-year old baby and im afraid she will have tics in the near future just like mine. Is there a bigger possibilities that she will get it? Sometimes when she s about to sleep I see her body twitching but it isnt really bad or maybe Im just overreacting wen I see her twitch for a second. ShouLd I fear about her sudden movements? Its so rare though that I see anything undesirable. She is a picky eater so most of the time, she is on milk.
Anyway, I just wanna thank all of u and this article for giving me little hopes. I hope avoiding those allergens in food, chemicals and etc will somehow helps me.

Hi Sheila, thank you for writing your experience and telling us about your 2-year old. Sorry you have had to deal with it since childhood, especially with people not understanding; that can make it all so much worse. I know people are often worried when they have had a tic disorder, that they will pass it to their child. How are you doing now, and your little one, after thinking about possible triggers and maybe trying some different things?

Sheila, I am not a medical professional, just another mom. I just wanted to assure you that it is completely normal for your 2-year-old to twitch as he/she dozes off to sleep. This has nothing to do with tics or Tourette’s Syndrome.

I’m a board certified neurologist, and although I applaud you for appearing to want to help patients, your irresponsible suggestion that any literature suggests a link between vaccines and tics, and your clear commercial imperative to sell your services makes me sick.

I’m not sure this is actually a legitimate comment from a board certified neurologist. But let’s assume it is. . .

Dr. Bellin, you imply we made up the information on tics and vaccines. Perhaps you did not do a literature search before accusing us of being irresponsible? This is the information we have on our site about vaccines and tics: https://latitudes.org/vaccine-research-thimerosal-tics/ These are published studies on thimerosal that no one seems to talk about. We recognize in the article that thimerosal has been phased out of most vaccines, but many readers could be impacted.

Vaccines are a complex issue and at no point on our site do we advise people not to get vaccines.

If some people report that they have noticed tics as an adverse reaction to a vaccine, we have no reason not to report that.

I found it interesting that you accuse us of having a “clear commercial imperative” to sell our services. We are a small nonprofit organization with a free website and free forums, without a regular salaried staff.

Fortunately we have a talented and very dedicated volunteer webmaster. We offer a very inexpensive premium option for those who would like it.

It costs money to run a comprehensive website. We have started a fundraising effort to strengthen our organization and raise funds for research.

My son has tics and I try to find alternative methods other than medication. Even my father in law suggested that searching for alternative methods is a waste due to lack of clinical evidence. I even had to fight my father in law to get heard. I think what you do Sheila is fantastic and everyone has to find their own paths in life and what works for them.

Soph, thank you for your encouragement of our efforts. You are right, each has to find their own paths. Fortunately there are some options for people to try. The problem with waiting for clinical evidence is that a child will be an adult before there is enough to satisfy people. Generations have passed with little progress in this area from conventional medicine. So families have a choice. Look on their own (or with an open minded practitioner) or wait for studies that aren’t even planned yet. It’s a tough situation. We are grateful for the doctors and families who have shared their experiences in treating tics and pointing people in the right directions.

I just want to say thank you! When our 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with Tourette’s /OCD we did what most parents do. … go to a neurologist and try pharmaceuticals. Our daughters tics went from bad to HORRIBLE on meds. After trying 2 different ones, I became a desperate parent looking for another solution. It was this website that gave me hope. We now see a Biomedical doctor and after getting the test results, we incorporate a special diet and supplements. She is doing much better. She still struggles with complex tics when she is tired, but life for her has improved. I’m always reading and trying to figure out what causes some of her tics and often it is a mystery, but reading about the testimonies of others gives me hope that we can still make more improvements with our daughter 🙂 thank you!

Lisa, it’s always rewarding and encouraging to hear from people who found help for their family on our website–in your daughter’s case for Tourette’s and OCD.

It’s because of dedicated parents like you that this information is reaching others searching for help. I hope you continue to find new answers in your quest to help your daughter. Having a biomedically oriented doctor help guide the way, as you have done, can make a big difference. Thank you.

how is your daughter getting on. I haven’t really confided in my friends about what is going on with my son and I find it very isolating. Who is your biomedical doctor that you found if you don’t mind me asking.

My son has been dealing with tics since he was 4. He is now almost 10. His tics got worse last summer about this time of the year. He has a tic where he pulls his shoulders up to his ears and throws his head back. It causes so much pain for him in his neck and upper back. We started seeing a neurology nurse at a children’s hospital nearby and he started learning competing responses to his tics. They helped a little, but the tics didn’t go away. There was a week at school were the kids could wear hats to school…it was some kind of spirit week. Anyways, the teacher and I both noticed that his tics pretty much went away when he was wearing a hat. He was aloud to wear a hat to school everyday after. After a few months of wearing a hat to school he decided that he wanted to try it without the hat….and his tics still were gone. That was about March or April. Now….the past week….his tics are back completely. I came across your website googling tics and weather relating to tics. We really do believe that his tics are coming back because of the heat outside and it’s summer time….he is always outside doing what boys his age do. Of course, I’m not going to keep him inside, but it is nice to know that it has been researched that heat can bring on tics. We are just going to keep him on tylenol when the tics seem to hurt his neck, and we put a heating pad on him before he goes to bed to help relax his muscles. Thank you so much for helping this momma out!!

Hi Randi, does your son have multiple tics? I’m asking because my daughter just started with what seem like 1,000 different ones – one being the neck and shoulders as you described. I’m just so worried I don’t know what to do to help her.

First I want to say I am THRILLED that I found this website. My 7 year old daughter began having what we now know are tics, when she was 5. In the past 4 months she has gone through at least 12 different types of motor tics and now what seems like 2 vocal tics. Things are going from bad to worse on a daily basis.

Her pediatrian said in April to ignore them. This is beyond hard but I’m doing my best. I’ve spoken to my daughter about them and she just says “I like doing it, I can control it sometimes though.”

I’m going to ask her Dr for a food allergy test and take it from there. I don’t know what else to do except pray. If they keep getting worse like this is she on the road to TS?

hi. my son has twitches i saw on your website, i cannot remember where, that i could call a professional and talk to her to help me for $90 an hour, please email me more information. I have been trying vitamins magnesium, tic tamer, etc and need expert help. thank you.

Hello – my daughter has had tics for about a year although her vocal tic(cough) has been present on and off for longer. We just always thought it was her asthma and didn’t realize it was a tic until she started having motor tics also. Her MD said nothing can be done and to ignore them and she will hopefully grow out of them. Its frustrating knowing there are things that can be done but MDs don’t want to understand it to the level they should. We insisted on allergy testing and all results (via blood test) came back negative for food and plant/mold allergies. We eliminated caffeine, use dye/scent free laundry detergent, removed all air freshness and reduced her overall sugar intake. Her motor tics are much better but the cough is still pronounced – especially when she is excited or playing. I don’t want it to deter her from playing sports and being active. I just can’t shake the thought that we are missing something. Would most allergies appear from a blood test or is it possible she has an allergy a standard blood test wouldn’t catch? Is there another test we should do? Also is it common for different tics to have different triggers? Thank you

Hi Laurie,
For food allergies or sensitivities you might want to read this article

With the other allergies, did the doctor do testing that covered animal dander and dust? Skin testing, especially intradermal, can be helpful. (This is more accurate than the standard skin prick test often given.)

It’s great that you have eliminated toxins and caffeine, and reduce sugar intake. I assume you are also avoiding artificial colors and flavors in your daughter’s diet?

You question about different tics and different triggers is good one. Some people report that they see this. For example a certain chemical exposure might cause particular vocal tics while a response to dust might cause eye and neck jerking. (Just using those as examples.) But not everyone reports this–or has had a chance to figure it out. We do know that responses can be very individual-specific. Just wondering — are you dealing with back to school issues right now? Sometimes the school setting can play a significant role also.

My son will be 15 in nov, he has done i guess i will use the word weird things off and i , we called it a habit, now reading everyones post i guess its a tic. went from streatching out his arms all the time, to like a hop. to looking on the bottom of his shoes, we would say omg would ya stop it!!! frustrated like what the heck is he doing….Now he is doing these weird streaches with his neck which makes his mouth look weird…. Hes in the 9th grade kids are asking why do you do that???? I am now concerned, I guess looking back over the years we had made excuesm like hes tired, hes sore from sports etc. Now i see its a bother to him, i feel HORRIBLE… Would our first step be to have a blood test or a Dr. check him for allergies to food, pets etc….HELP

Our 13 year old son who was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age four has triggers that are easy to recognize but hard to prevent. As he approached puberty all of his tics became worse and more evident. Two big triggers are sounds (whispers, S’s, minor eating noises) and smells. His can’t even talk with my wife and I because the sounds of our voices set a major tic going which includes the response of covering up or repeatedly clapping his hands on his ears or punching his leg, then, after the first part of that “rage” he begins a snorting and coughing phase where he twists his neck and shoulders up and down, back and forth and often sounds like he is dry heaving, sometimes (actually often) he even does manage to vomit a little. He is somehow able to conceal or curtail most of this major reaction at school but he can’t or simply won’t avoid doing it at home and he looks at us with such contempt if we have spoken a word or made and eating sound that sets it off. We can’t help to wonder if this major reaction is somewhat controlled as a form of revenge on us for aggravating his senses and interrupting what he is doing. This affects him nearly every waking moment if he doesn’t have ear buds in and Youtube playing on a phone or iPad to cover up outside sounds. Sometimes the only form of communication he can handle with me is a long hug, silence and lots of tears (for both of us) since the sound of my voice sets him off every time. I just wish there was a way to numb his sense of hearing and smell just enough to reduce those major tics and give him back his life.

Kevin, I’m sorry to be so long in responding to your comment. Your situation sounds very stressful for the whole family. I’m wondering if you have considered a consultation with an expert in nutritional therapy. Some children with auditory hypersensitivity have been helped with nutritional approaches. Also, your son’s sensitivity to smells could be related to a chemical sensitivity. Please let me know if you are interested in seeking professional help in these areas. I know readers join me in the hope that you can find help soon.

Hello, i’m eli and i also have tourettes at 13 i was diagnosed but in 2015-16 i suddenly started having the same problem i hate my moms s sounds it sounds gross and its just unbearabele also lipsmacking

my therapist said she thinks im taking my emotions out on the sounds thats why there is the rage for me

she also said my bodies frequency is also out of tune with the earth so she has me stand in grass and stone or dirt or something to connect with the earth and that helps alot sometimes

also im 14 now its alot better i still dont like the sounds but its not as bad
if he was traumatised at any point of his life he may be taking it out on the s sound becuase i take my anger and guilt out on the s sound also

it might help if you help him feel better about his emotions becuase i supreess mine alot

TAKING IT OUT ON SOME TIC is tourrettes if the is having ocd symptoms i tried prozac and it helps
doctor may pescribe it please get him a therapist it may help
it helped me realize why i hate the sounds
tourretes is a mental disorder so it would make complete sense if his problem was emotional

my 5 year old son has just had tic s for the first time over christmas he has had febrile convulsions in the past are these two some way related ? anyone similar experience ?
personally i think too much sugary sweets over christmas has triggered it off I’m nervous to send him to school but trust God all will be ok in a few days!!

Hello. My daughter is 19 years old. Her tics started at 11 and we all went through hell and panic as she became a screaming, crying, scared little girl. At times I would have to lie on her to keep her from hurting herself. We started the same as most, unaware of how to deal with this. The doctors put her on Risperidone and we lost her for a few months. She was tearful, tired and so unhappy. She decided to stop taking the drugs. She has mainly physical tics, facial and head throwing back. She is constantly exhausted with the effort of trying to control herself. Has lost several jobs due to lack of understanding and is now panicking about her future. We are going to embark on the list and see if we can find a link. The tics are so worse at night and due to phone/computer interplay she now has real trouble sleeping till 3 or 4 in the morning. I am constantly fighting with taking phones/computers away. As a family, we are exhausted and everyone is so affected by this new phase. For your information we tried a paleo challenge which cut out Gluten, Dairy, Sugar and it made no difference. It is good to hear other stories and wish you all luck. I wonder if my daughter is escalating due to hormonal changes too? Thank you for your website.

I forgot to add that my daughters tics from early evening till early morning are very high pitched screams! We have had a neighbour sell their house as it is so disruptive. Does anyone else have these tics/advice?

Hi Tookey, My sympathies for all that your daughter and your family have been going through. I’m glad you wrote, and I have some questions for you if you have time to reply:

I’m wondering if the tics started suddenly when she was 11 or did they gradually develop?

Have the doctors recommended anything else in the way of conventional treatment beyond Risperiodone?

Did anything change around age 11 when the tics began? Was she sick — or did you move to a new location?

Where do you live–and have you been in the same home the last several years?

Does your daughter have allergies or is there a family history of allergy? And might there be anything in her bedroom that could aggravate her nervous system, since symptoms are worst there– like a pet, mold, dusty bed, new paint or carpet, scented plugins (as examples)?

I give you a lot of credit for trying a Paelo challenge. There could be other foods that are bothering her so I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of foods playing a role. Can we assume that she is not having any artificial additives (color, flavor etc) or does she eat like a typical teenager? Anyone smoking in the house?

I know these seems like a lot of questions — just trying to get a feel for what you may be dealing with. Please do let us know if you have seen any links by looking through the list of possible triggers.

have I missed the posts that talk about tics triggered by viral illness? My son sometimes shows very few viral symptoms, sometimes just a tiniest runny nose, but he goes from having zero ticking to full scale tics. Any one else? any ideas? Antivirals?

I feel so depressed right now. I live in britain and my child is 9 and has had tics for 6 years. I have read the Natural treatment and keep trying with food but find no link. i just worry so much that he will be ejected by his peers as he gets older. Feel like i don’t know who to go to in Britain as a naturopath or something and feel exhausted thinking about it all day x

I can imagine how difficult it must have been to watch your son have tics for six years. Please know there are many things besides food that could be playing a role in your child’s tics. Also, you are not alone–we have recently been communicating with parents in the UK.

Just a week or so ago someone sent a list of practitioners in the UK who should be familiar with environmental medicine and nutritional therapies. You can go to our forum and see the responses on this topic HERE. (You will see the list, there are several other comments so keep looking!) We don’t know who to recommend within this list, but you could call the offices and talk with them before going.

We hope you will keep in touch and let us know how you make out — and if there is anything we can do to help. Sheila

I’m new to this thread but just like other parents, I am seeking for a more natural treatment for my child’s TS and OCD.

He’s 9 and been suffering with chronic motor and vocal tics associated with obsessive thoughts and fears. They wax and wane but I notice the ticking and fears elevate when he’s stressed out in school or bully kids or when very excited on video games or when weather is very hot. No Tourette history in our family but we have OCD and anxiety history.

I don’t remember him having worst throat problem when he’s little and he was not diagnosed with PANDAS. We’ve been to neurologist, therapist and psychiatrist but they all want to start him with medications. Therapy is simply talking and getting appointment is not easy. We only get a monthly session.

His pediatrician and psychiatrist refuse to authorize my request for pediatric acupuncture. I want to try this first for stress and pain relief. They said acupuncture is not proven effective unlike medication. I requested pediatrician to order allergy and vitamin/mineral deficiency test to rule out other health conditions that may be causing or affecting my child’s health conditions but she said they are not accurate tests, and she just cited her example of being allergic to milk. I pay a big amount for my insurance premium, copays but we don’t get the help we need yet. I give my child omega 3 supplement and it seem to relax him.

Hope somebody with success story on acupuncture, acupressure, detox patch and safe supplements can share here. I read about on task naturally, compulsion, Bach flower they seem good and safe ingredients wise, but can you provide more helpful reviews about them?

Hello all,
First and foremost, thanks for your voluntary time to help some desperate parents and children. My son MIchael started with the ‘eye roll’ around 9 years old. Now he has moved onto the ‘head jerking’ tic. I worry about his neck for it is pretty violent, although it doesn’t seem to bother him.
I have found magnesium has helped him in a tea form, CALM. Also, chiropractic care has helped a little bit. I suspect his IPad and his large bowls of ice cream are enabling some of the condition. I also suspect his bedding, for he wakes up and he is completely plugged up in the sinus area. I did try dust mite covers on his pillow and bed. That didn’t ‘pan out.’
The ‘hunt’ for the root cause can be very challenging.

Hi Sean, thanks so much for writing. I hope you are finding some answers to your son’s neck jerking. You’re probably right that all that ice cream may be playing a role, in addition to the iPad use. The ice cream could make a difference with the tics and actually with the congestion as well. Do you think you would consider a two week trial of no dairy and see what happens? I know it’s not always easy but could be well worth the effort. Also hope you are additive free–no artificial flavors and colors–they can set tics off. Good you did the dust covers for the congestion but there could be something else in the room, or it might be food related. What do you think?

Sheila,
Thanks for the reply. I just started with the trial of no artificial colors or flavored. Unfortunately the food manufacturers sneak in ‘Natural flavors’ which is just as bad. I will take your advice and try a dairy free pilot. How long before the symptoms subside if indeed it is the suspect? Days? I imagine their is residual effects.
Also he is starting Middle School in a few weeks. Should we talk to him prior? Teachers?
Thanks in advance!

Middle school will be a big change for your son. if he is motivated to reduce his tics–if he is self-conscious about them- I think you should talk to him to explain that a lot of people can’t tolerate certain foods and you think it would be worth it to do an experiment to see if it helps him.

I’m not sure what you mean as far as talking to teachers — do you mean to discuss that he has tics? It is usually a good idea to do so.

Also, have you taken him to an allergist re: his stuffed nose in the morning? Do you think his bedroom is dust and mold-free? Any pets in the house?

Sheila,
We’ve seen a pretty significant improvement within the last 2 days. We purchased a hepa filter for his room to couple with the dust mite covers for his pillow and bed. Although, we need to remove the stuffed animals from the environment as well. We also put the IPad away and limited other video games. Lastly, we stopped the fabric softener. Had to convince the wife the clothes will not feel like burlap sacks!
Anyway, not ‘home’ yet and we still have the diet to contend with.
I’ll keep you posted!

Sean, you made my day with your report of the improvements. Hope things keep moving in the right direction. I know a lot of people love the fabric softeners but once you go “unscented” I think you all will love that too. There are natural anti-static products, if that becomes an issue at some point, beyond your wife wanting things to smell good. Sounds like you are on the right track–congratulations to you and your wife for taking the leap. I’ll look forward to your updates!